Lucyravenscar Crochet Creatures

www.lucyravenscar.etsy.com

*I've now written this pattern out in a more standard way, and changed a few minor things. In particular I've made the wings stronger so they will stick out better. The new version is too long to post here, but you can download the pattern from Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fierce-little-dragon

Of course, you can still follow the pattern below if you find that easier, but do check out the new wings, you may prefer them.

Edited May 2011*

I'm going to assume that anyone who tries to make this has a reasonable knowledge of crochet & making amigurumi, and that you know how to increase and decrease. So I am just going to write the number of stitches in each round and then explain any fiddly bits in more detail. Semi-colons (;) separate the rounds, assume you start with chain 2 & crochet into the first stitch, or with a magic ring.

Use a 3.5mm (E) hook.Use any yarn you like, you may need to increase the hook size if you use a very chunky yarn. Crochet tightly so that the stuffing won’t show.Mark the start of each row.Stuff the body as you go along, not too tightly so that the dragon can bend its neck and tail.

Nostrils:8 sc in ring, FO leaving a bit of a tail.8 sc in ring, then sc into any stitch on the first ring and go all the way around both of them, ending up with 16 st. Use the tail to sew up any gap between the 2 parts.

Continue:16; (do the following reductions at the middle top and middle bottom of the nose) 14; 14; 12; 10; (do the next 4 increases at the top to create the head) 14; 14; 14; (do the following decreases at the top) 12; 10; 8; 8; 8; (increase by one stitch anywhere) 9; 10; 10; 10; 11; 12; (do the next increase at the bottom to create the body) 18; 18; (increase every 3rd stitch) 24; 24; 24; (do the following increases at sides) 26; 26; 26; 28; 28; (do the following reductions at the sides, but a bit randomly, or there will be a distinct line) 26; 24; 22; 20; 18; 16; 14; 14; 12 x 11 rounds; 11; 11; 11; 10; 10; 10; 9; 9; 9; 8; 8; 8; 8; 7 x 10 rounds; 6; [If the tail doesn’t look pointy enough, continue for 3 more rounds at 6 st, then 3 rounds at 5st] dec 2 x 2; FO and sew up when completely stuffed.

Front legs (make 2):5 sc in ring; 10; 10; 10; 10; (6 sc, dec 2, dec 2) 8; 8 x 6 rounds; keep reducing every 2 st until the hole is too small to do any more. Stuff, then use cream/beige yarn to sew claws. Sew up top of leg.

Spikes on back:Small – ch 3, sc into 2nd ch from hook, hdc into 3rd ch from hook, ch1.Large – ch 3, sc into 2nd ch from hook, yoh, hook into next ch, yoh and pull through st, yoh, pull through 2 loops, yoh, into same st, yoh and pull through st, yoh and through all loops on hook, ch1.

You make the spikes continuously. I did 3 small, 10 large, 3 small, missing out the last ch1 and leaving a tail of yarn to sew to the body. Adjust the number of spikes you make to fit along your dragon’s back from behind the eyes to the tip of the tail.

Ears:Leave a long tail of yarn when you make your first loop.Ch 6, turn.Skip 1st st, sc, dc,sc,ss. Leave the last ch and ss up the other side of the ear to the tip. FOSew onto head, going over the last chain several times to create the brow bone shape.

Completing your dragon:Sew the spikes along the back from just behind the ears to the tip of the tail.Sew the legs on in the obvious positions. I sewed them by pulling the tail of yarn through and out of the side of the leg, at the top. Then sew the yarn several times into a small area on the body so that they are slightly jointed and can move about quite easily.Sew on the wings slightly to either side of the spikes with the front edge about level with the front legs.Embroider eyes or sew on beads for eyes. I embroidered a roughly diamond shape in a contrasting colour below the brow bone, then used black for the pupils so they looked a bit like cat’s eyes. If you want to use safety eyes, you’ll need to fix them in quite early, before you crochet the neck, or you won’t be able to fit them.